The Angel of the Lord Encircles Me

My prayer song "The Angel of the Lord Encircles Me" was inspired by Psalm 34:7
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them."

According to the Strong's Bible Concordance, the "angel of the Lord" often referred to the "theophanic angel" ~ a divine visitation of God appearing in the form of an angel.


Many bible scholars believe that the theophanic angel was the pre-incarnate Christ. 
 The word means, "messenger of God, an angel, prophet, priest, or teacher."

  The words "encamp about" mean to "dwell in, or all around as in a circuit, on every side."
 The words in the definition convey the idea that the angel  (the messenger from God who is a teacher, priest, and prophet) is building a strong fortress all around the person he is guarding. 
 
If a person fears the Lord, (by fear, the Psalmist means, honors, is morally reverent, and afraid to dishonor or offend the Lord), and if they abide in God’s strong fortress with the angel, and if that Angel is the Lord Jesus Christ, then something truly wonderful is going to happen.

That Angel is going to deliver them.

According to the Strong’s Bible Concordance, the word deliver means: "to remove, to draw out, equip for war, rescue, be armed, to make strong, to brace, to be saved."
 
What are we going to be delivered from?

• Jesus is going to deliver us from whatever overwhelms, overcomes, or oppresses us.

• Jesus is going to remove whatever hinders us from advancing toward fulfilling His purpose in our life.

• First, Jesus saves our souls and forgives all our sins, washing them away as far as the east is from the west when we invite him into our heart to be our Lord and Savior.

“Therefore Jesus is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:25

• Jesus is going to heal us from whatever soul sickness that blinds us and keeps us from knowing and growing in Him.

“He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.” Psalm 107:20

• Jesus is committed to equipping us for spiritual battle; God is on our side~ He wants us to succeed:

“God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.” Psalm 18:32-34

•  Jesus make us strong through helping us to read and understand His word, and giving us the grace and power to obey it:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” ~Philippians 2:13

• Jesus delivers us so that we can overcome temptation.

“And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

• Jesus is going to give us victory over what had formerly overcome us:

"For this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4

• Finally, Jesus delivers us from our enemies when we put our trust in Him. He is committed to making us strong and whole.

"To them that have no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Thy Son Jesus Christ to by my Protector and Guardian, Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, who ever guards me night and day through His Holy Spirit who lives inside my heart. May You help me to truly understand all of the wonderful things my Lord Jesus does for all who trust Him as their Savior and Lord, in Jesus holy name, amen. 

“The Angel of The Lord Encircles Me” is a comforting, inspirational 2 minute 45 second Video Produced, Directed & Narrated by SD Harden with additional videography by MC Harden © 2018 All Rights Reserved.
The Prayer Poem and Illustration are from "Paths of Love Illustrated Prayer Song Book: Prayer Songs Celebrating God's Love" ©  2015 All Rights Reserved.
The original piano solo,“The Angel of The Lord Encircles Me” used in the video is on the album “Paths of Love: Songs for Worship and Meditation” © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.
Unto The Least of These © 2018 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Christ Holds Everything Together By His Word

"The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word." ~ Hebrews 1:3 (NCV)


Jesus Christ rules the universe the Bible says and holds it together by His powerful word.
In fact, the bible says that by His word He created the whole world! 

 Psalm 33:8-9 says "He spoke and it was done...He commanded and it stood fast."

Our lives are so uncertain. We've just experienced a massive winter storm where I live that produced record amounts of snow and single digit temperatures. 
With the snow and ice come power outages and frozen pipes. When there are no shelters from the cold and wind, where do the poor homeless go?
When the storms of life come, things we normally take for granted can be temporarily ~or even sometimes permanently ~lost.

Somewhere someone is struggling with chronic pain, another is dealing with cancer, a single mom just found out her job was terminated and she has no prospects for how she’s going to support her young family. A husband was told his wife no longer loves him. A couple just learned that their teenage child committed suicide. Missionaries serving the Lord in countries hostile to Christianity live in fear that they could be martyred any day for their faith. 

 That is just a fraction of the myriad sorrows that happen to countless people in our world every day. The Lord looks down from heaven and He sees it all. He sees every broken heart and the bible asserts that He has a special bottle where He stores every person's tears. 

"You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle." ~ Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

 Yet none of us can bear a pain or any sorrow that Jesus has not first borne upon His cross where He carried in His body all the sins and sorrows of our race. 

 He knows and feels all of our pain. And because He has felt it, He understands. 
He cherishes each one of us as if we were the only one He had to care for. He stands at His Father's right Hand and He prays for our every need. 

Whatever has fallen apart or is threatening to fall apart in my world today, I can come to Jesus and ask Him to hold it together, or to hold me together by His grace through whatever crisis I must face. 

 As the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the Father's right hand in Heaven praying night and day for us all, He hears every prayer that comes before His altar. (Romans 8:34)

No one is insignificant to Him who gave His life on the cross to redeem our souls from the curse of sin and to give us eternal life.

Concerning prayer, Jesus told His disciples,  "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened."

Trust God. No matter how chaotic the world may appear at times, He is still on His throne. One of God's names is Adonai. According to the Easton's Bible Dictionary this name means one who possesses "absolute control."  

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ~ Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

His Word promises “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” ~Romans 8:28 (NLT)

In good times or bad, remember always, that God’s word promises:  “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

  PRAYER

Lord Jesus, may You hear and answer the prayers of every person who needs You to hold something together in their life today. Please fill each heart with rivers of peace and hope, and faith. Lord, I ask You to hold families together, marriages together, people's health together, their minds together, whatever is threatening to fall apart in their personal worlds today, may You by Your almighty power hold it together by Thy holy word as we trust and put our faith in You; thank You, Lord, we love You, in Jesus' mighty name, amen.

*Please take a moment to view my new music video, "God Is In Control." May the Instrumental Prayersong & Lyrics comfort and encourage your hearts. ~
Love & Blessings, Suzanne 

"Christ Holds All Things Together By His Word" ~ © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Music Video: "God Is In Control" © 2016 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Art/Photo Credits: Scripture Pic via You Version Bible App, All other Scripture Pics via Pinterest, Scripture References New Living Translation © 2013 Tyndale House All Rights Reserved. New Century Version © 2005 Thomas Nelson All Rights Reserved.

A Mother's Love

"A Mother's Love" Poem  & Collage Illustration © Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

A Mother’s Love

©  2012 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Perhaps a billion stars

Rivers, lakes and trees

Teeming all with critters,

And billions more of these.

The song of our Creator

Is abundance it would seem

Until one sees a snowflake—

That each one is unique.

Perhaps a billion snowflakes

And no two are alike;

Each a tiny masterpiece

From microscopic sight.

Perhaps a billion mothers

But one alone is mine,

Unique and irreplaceable

In my heart and mind.

Embroidered like a snowflake

In the fabric of my soul;

In all true mother’s hearts

The love of God is ever told. 

Prayer 

Heavenly Father, thank You for my precious mother and mother-in-law. Thank You for all mothers everywhere and for this day when we celebrate  the gift of their lives and what they mean to us. 

Help us never to take their precious lives for granted. Help us to show our mothers gratitude, honor, and respect for all they have done for us throughout our lives. For those whose mothers have passed away, please help them still to honor the memory of who their mothers were and to allow them to live on in their hearts through their love. 

For those who are holding bitterness in their hearts toward their mothers please give them the grace to forgive as You have forgiven each one of us. 

Help each of us to remember today that life is very short and no one knows when You will call us home. 

Help us not to hold a grudge against any family member or any person but to love as You have loved us. 

Help us to love those who gave us life and raised us; to celebrate their lives and let them know how much we care about them. May we never neglect them. 

Bless all mothers everywhere today and fill them with joy. 

In Jesus' holy name, amen.

"May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. 

May you be blessed by the Lord who made heaven and earth." ~ Psalm 115:14-15 (NLT)

 

Mother's Day Digital Greeting Card ~Digital Collage by S.D. Harden

 "A Mother's Love" Poem & Illustrations Copyright © 2012, 

© 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotation taken from the New Living Translation © 2013 Tyndale House Foundation All Rights Reserved. Unto The Least of These © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Lord, Help Me Be Like That Tree

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. 

He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 

Lord, Help Me To Be That Tree  (© S.D. Harden)

Lord, help me be the flexible tree~ 

That bends its boughs in adversity,

Through winds of trial and suffering,

That hides itself away in Thee

And trusts when assailed by enemies; 

Whose limbs bow humbly in chastening, 

Who will not break but find the Stream 

Of God to drink, it's roots will cling,

It's roots dig deep into that Stream... 

It's leaves are ever full and green,

It bears its fruit to Christ it's King...

In every season it will sing...

Oh Lord, help me to be that tree.

Oh Lord, help me to be that tree~

That tree that bows and bends to Thee; 

For the tree that bows and bends the knee 

Will bear the fruit that honors Thee,

That lasts throughout Eternity...

Oh Lord, help me to be that tree. 

Heavenly Father, may we ever cling to Your promises in Your word that You are always with us in every season of our lives. No matter what challenge we may ever face on our path, You will be right there to see us through as we put our faith, hope, and trust in You. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

"Lord, Help Me To Be That Tree," © 2014 S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved. Illustration © 2014 S.D. Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotation: New Living Translation © 2007 Tyndale House Publishers; Unto The Least of These © 2014  Suzanne Davis Harden 

Love The Lord

Psalm 18:1 

I love you, Lord; You are my strength. ♥️

I love You, Lord, you are my strength,

I thank You for my life,

I thank You, Lord, for saving me,

I love You, Jesus Christ!

You are Lord of all my days,

The Lord of all my nights; 

Lord, I give my heart to You,

I love You, Jesus Christ. ♥️

"I Love You, Lord," Prayer Poem, © S.D.Harden, Unto The Least Of These, Photo Illustration: Pinterest/ Scripture Reference: New Living Translation © 2007 Tyndale House Foundation, All Rights Reserved.